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Southern Utah University

Fall Semester 2026

Advanced Biology Workshop (Face-to-Face)

BIOL 4920-01

Course:	BIOL 4920-01
Credits:	3
Term:	Fall Semester 2026
Department:	Biology
CRN:	30625

Instructor Information

Instructors: Dr. Fredric R. Govedich, Dr. Bonnie Bain, Dr. Sam Wells

Office: SCA 203 SCA 008 SC 113

Office hours: M 10-11, T 1-2, WF 12-1 M 10-11 Held in SCA 010 (Bee lab)
R 11:15-12:15 or by appointment M 1-4, T 10-12
or by appointment or appointment

Email (preferred method of contact): govedich@suu.edu, bonnie.bain@gmail.com or bain@suu.edu, and samuelwells@suu.edu

Phone (office): Govedich: 435-865-8092 & Wells: 435-865-8701

Course Description

In this course students will participate in various advanced-level workshops related to biology, biological techniques, or biological research, or intensive biological learning situations outside of the traditional class and lab. Students may receive workshop credit for activities such as seminars, short courses, in-service training, or travel study. Workshop credit must be arranged by a biological program faculty member and receive approval at the departmental level. May be repeated for credit, up to a maximum of six (6) credits. Variable times. (Fall) [Pass/Fail] Repeatable for Add’l Credit? Yes - Total Credits: 6

Required Texts

Describing Species, Practical Taxonomic Procedure for Biologists. By Judith E. Winston, Columbia University Press.

Learning Outcomes

Essential Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Knowledge of Biology: Students will demonstrate an understanding of general knowledge of biology: its language, history, findings and applications.
Understanding of Interactions and Adaptations: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of interactions and adaptations within and among biological systems.
Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World: Students demonstrate knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world through study in the fine arts, humanities, social and behavioral sciences, and life and physical sciences.
Methodologies of Science (Inquiry and Analysis): Students will demonstrate an understanding of the methodologies of science and will synthesize new knowledge from scientific literature; students will demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the following: 1. the scientific method and 2. reading, understanding, and critiquing peer-reviewed literature.
Effective Communication: Students will communicate effectively in oral, written, and other formats; students will demonstrate their skills in the following areas: 1. oral presentation of scientific work or synthesis of knowledge from the field and 2. written presentation of scientific work or synthesis of knowledge from the field.

Durable Skills and High-Impact Practice
This course intentionally embeds two AAC&U-aligned durable skills and one high-impact practice (HIP).

Critical Thinking: students evaluate biological/scientific evidence and apply theory to real biology topics (Midterm and Final Exams, class discussions and readings, and Interpretation project).
Communication: students practice written communication (class discussions and readings and interpretation project/presentation) and oral/visual communication (Presentation).
High-Impact Practices:Teamwork: Collaborative Assignments and Projects: Learning to work and solve problems in the company of others and sharpening one’s own understanding by listening seriously to the insights of others. Students practice their ability to work in and function

Course Requirements

Class Requirements:

Workshop description:Taxonomy is the basis for most of the biological sciences. This course will cover the basic principles and practices of the science. It is designed as a workshop, meaning that students will engage with actual taxonomic practices and become familiar with taxonomic tools. A basic understanding of biology (BIOL 1610/1620) is needed prior to enrollment.

Class requirements: Students should read assignments before class and bring either an e-version of the article or a paper copy to class. Lectures will occasionally refer to sections in the readings. Tests and quizzes will be drawn both from lecture, labs and readings.

Course Assessment

Grading: Letter grades will be assigned using a typical scale of percentage of total available points.

| 100-73 P | <72 F |

| Assignment/Assessment | Points | ELO Alignment | Durable Skill
| Lecture exams 100 points | 200 | ELO 1, ELO 2, ELO 3 and ELO 4 (Knowledge of Biology, Understanding of Interactions and Adaptations, Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World, Methodologies of Science) | Critical Thinking
| Six quizzes worth 10 points each | 60 | ELO 1, ELO 2, ELO 3 and ELO 4 (Knowledge of Biology, Understanding of Interactions and Adaptations, Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World, Methodologies of Science) | Critical Thinking
| Project | 100 | ELO 1, ELO 2, ELO 3, ELO 4 and ELO 5 (Knowledge of Biology, Understanding of Interactions and Adaptations, Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World, Methodologies of Science, and Effective Communication) | Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork
| Class Discussions | 30 | ELO 1, ELO 2, ELO 3, ELO 4and ELO 5 (Knowledge of Biology, Understanding of Interactions and Adaptations, Knowledge of Human Cultures and the Physical and Natural World, Methodologies of Science, and Effective Communication) | Critical Thinking, Communication, Teamwork
| Total points | 390 |

Course Outline

Lecture and reading schedule:

Dates and topics may change as we work through the semester.

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

You will lose ½ of the available points for late assignments (up to one week). If assignments are turned in after one week you will not be given credit for the assignment. If you miss a assignment, quiz or exam and do not have a medical or otherwise valid excuse you will not be able to make up the material. If you know you are going to miss an assignment, quiz or exam please make arrangements to take the exam or quiz early if possible and hand in any assignments. If something comes up please contact me and we can make arrangements based on your situation.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is required so if you need to miss class for any reason please contact me.

You cannot learn biology just by sitting in a lecture hall listening to a lecturer; I expect you to take an active role in your learning. This requires that you come to class prepared, ready to participate by asking questions about what you do not understand, and by applying what you learn to novel situations. I will test on concepts and you will be expected to interpret information and data. It is to your advantage to attend lectures as well as labs.

Course Policies and Information

Course Canvas Site: Lecture notes, review papers, writing instructions, etc. will be available online through canvas. You will also be required to submit your written work through canvas. You can also view your current grades through canvas so you can keep track of your course progress.

Your Responsibilities as a Student: Show up to class on time! Turn off cell phones during class! Course requirements must be completed independently. Plagiarism of any of the course requirements will not be tolerated. If you have been determined to be dishonest in completion of any course requirement, you will receive a zero for that work and depending on the extent of the dishonesty, may fail the course and may receive further action from the university.

Policy on the uses of Artificial Intelligence (AI): Generative AI tools may be used to brainstorm or check grammar on written assignments, but all analysis, evidence selection, and final writing must be the student’s own; undisclosed AI-generated submissions will be treated as a violation of SUU Policy 6.33, Academic Integrity. AI tools may not be used during quizzes or exams. Students must cite any AI assistance used, consistent with course and university policy.

Academic integrity: Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any form. Consult the current issue of the student handbook (published by Student Services) regarding expectations for students and the intellectual property policy. Academic integrity is a central value in higher education. It rests on two principles: first, that academic work is represented truthfully as to its source and its accuracy, and second, that academic results are obtained by fair and authorized means. “Academic misconduct” occurs when either of these principles is knowingly violated. The responsibility of academic integrity does not rest solely in the hands of the faculty and administration. It depends also on the attitude and spirit of the student body to create an atmosphere that promotes strong integrity. In other words, the students determine a school's level of character. The job of educators is to foster and encourage a feeling of honesty and quality. In this class, the concept of individual honor is designed to promote mutual trust and respect between students and faculty. Examples of student academic misconduct include giving or receiving unauthorized assistance on examinations or in the preparation of notebooks, themes, reports, or other assignments; knowingly misrepresenting the source of any academic work; changing grades without authorization; forging signatures; or plagiarizing another's work. Students who are found guilty of academic misconduct are subject to a range of disciplinary actions, including a 0 for the assignment (including exams), an F for the course and potential suspension or dismissal from SUU.

Treatment of Live Animals/Human Subjects: In this course, we will conduct observations of and experiments using live animals. These animals are to be treated with respect at all times. In addition, any vertebrate animal used in this course is covered by protocols and permits under the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (https://www.suu.edu/sparc/iacuc/). IACUC has strict requirements for the ethical care and use of animals in research and educational settings. Guidelines for animal care set forth by IACUC will be followed at all times. Failure to comply with IACUC guidelines will result in a failing grade for the research project. Students do not have the authority to make decisions regarding proper animal care and use. All decisions should be made in conjunction with the instructor. Projects that require the use of human subjects and will have results presented outside of class must complete Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Human subject research is regulated by a series of foundational documents, state and federal laws and regulations, and relevant university policies (https://www.suu.edu/irb/what-needs-irb.html).

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

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